


so this is the new year

by humanluke



Series: escort AU [2]
Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: I LOVE MALUM, Just some cuteness, M/M, New Years, Smoking, Swearing, awkward fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:02:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28462830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/humanluke/pseuds/humanluke
Summary: michael goes to a new year's party at ashton's. but only for one reason.
Relationships: Alex Gaskkarth/Jack Barakat, Luke Hemmings/Ashton Irwin, Michael Clifford/Calum Hood
Series: escort AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2084829
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	so this is the new year

**Author's Note:**

> here have some cute malum new years! this is based off of a prompt from [amanda](http://lifewasradical.tumblr.com) on tumblr, and takes place in my escort verse. enjoy!

Michael feels a little apprehensive and out of his element as he steps into the penthouse apartment on the top floor of the building he works in. 

Both Luke and Calum had invited him to the end of year soiree that Ashton was throwing, insisting that he was allowed to take one night off and have some fun with the three of them. Michael had mostly only met Ashton in passing if he’s been honest, hardly spoken to him at all in person. But even he had stopped by the desk that morning, arms full of bags and accompanied by Luke as he asked if he was coming tonight. (Which he replied he was, because he’d already promised the other two he would go, even if he despised parties with every last ounce of his being.)

So now he’s standing in the doorway of this immaculate apartment, full of celebrities and people he’d never even dreamed of being in the same room as, feeling incredibly underdressed and out of his element. He thinks he might just turn around and head out, feeling his heart rising up into his throat with just the sheer volume of people in the room.

“Michael!” he hears, and he turns, surprised he can hear anything over the bass that was practically shaking the whole floor. Luke approaches him, cheeks flushed and a grin on his face as he pulls him into a warm hug. Michael feels a little more at ease, knowing Luke is still fairly out of his element here too (every time he’d gone to any kind of event with Ashton, Michael always heard about it from Luke afterwards, mostly griping about how he feels so out of place amongst all the A-listers). 

“Thank god I at least have you here,” he sighs into his neck, smiling a little at Luke as he pulls back. Luke takes his hand into his own, squeezing it with a soft grin. “I would be totally lost without my favorite person who doesn’t live here.” Luke lets out a soft laugh, hand running through his golden curls. 

“Come on, let’s get you a drink,” Luke offers, and Michael shakes his head a little bit, watching as Luke sways their hands between the two of them affectionately. 

“Gotta work tomorrow and I have to drive home after this, so I’m good,” he says with a shrug. Luke pouts a little bit, letting go of his hand. Michael frowns at the loss of the familiarity of his friend, but covers it up easily. “But thank you for offering.” Luke brushes it off and smiles at him again. 

“You and Calum both need to loosen up a little bit,” he sighs. “You have the night off and you won’t even join in on the fun!” Michael smiles to himself at the mention of Calum, and wonders where he’s at among the sea of people littering every crevice of Ashton’s still mostly bare apartment. (Things were a little homier now that Luke had moved in, but they were still getting there.) 

“Luke, stop harassing your friend, sweetheart, I’m sure he just wants to be comfortable here,” he hears Ashton’s smooth voice say, watching as he comes up behind Luke and wraps his arms around his waist. Michael feels his heart twinge a little bit at the display of affection and at the way that Luke sinks into Ashton’s grip so easily. “I think Calum is in the kitchen, if you were looking for him.” There’s a knowing grin on Ashton’s face, and Michael does the best he can to cover up the redness of his cheeks as he ducks out of the room. 

“Thank you…!” he calls back nervously, watching for a beat as Ashton and Luke get all wrapped up in one another, as if there aren’t at least a hundred other people around him. He swallows as he makes his way into the kitchen, where there are less people, and he feels like he can breathe again. He leans against the counter a little, taking a few breaths from the overwhelming feeling of being in a room with so many people. He wonders for a minute if this was a good idea, coming to this party where he really only knows two people (and barely knows the host). 

“I was just thinking about you,” he hears in that all too familiar voice, and he whips around to see Calum standing behind him, arms folded over his chest and a smirk playing at his plush lips. Michael can feel the blood rushing to his cheeks again and his heart fluttering underneath his ribcage, threatening to burst through at the very sight of the man. “I was wondering if maybe you had changed your mind about tonight.” 

“No, I kept my promise. Here I am,” he says with a soft laugh. He feels more nervous here than he normally does with Calum -- all their flirting across Michael’s desk over the last year suddenly feels a lot more real in this happenstance moment. Michael regrets not taking Luke’s offer for a beverage for a beat as he leans against the kitchen island anxiously.

“You don’t sound too pleased about that,” Calum chuckles, shoving one hand into his pocket and running the other through the dark curls nestled atop his head. “I was actually just going to head down for a smoke, do you wanna come with me? I know big crowds aren’t really your thing.” Michael tries to remember when he’d told Calum that, but they’d had so many conversations that he couldn’t pinpoint it easily. He can’t believe that he’d told something to him in passing that he can’t even remember, and he’d had the audacity to remember. 

Michael would very much like to kiss him in this moment. 

“Uh, yeah, sure,” he says. His hands are twisting restlessly in front of him, and Calum reaches out and takes one into his gently. Michael almost passes out from the electric feeling of their hands brushing together, eyes grazing over their hands together like this. 

“Come on, babe,” he says with a grin, and the pet name hits him like an arrow to the heart (in the best possible way). He lets Calum lead him out the door, looking over his shoulder to get a glimpse of what looked like Luke giving him a thumbs up. He blushes more than he already was, letting him pull him into the elevator and press the lobby button. He feels a little more relaxed now that he’s free from the confines of the party, but being in an elevator with Calum was almost just as emotionally toiling for him. 

“Thanks for… getting me out,” he offers quietly, looking down at their hands. Calum’s was still firm around his own, causing his heart to beat a little faster with every passing moment. He’s surprised he hasn’t gone into cardiac arrest, if he’s being honest. 

“It’s what friends are for, right?” Calum chuckles, pulling his hand back. Michael frowns a little at the loss, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “I hate parties, anyways. Just wanted an excuse to see you when we’re not working.” He flashes him a grin, and Michael smiles softly back at him, feeling his heart melt in the process. (It almost makes up for the fact that they’re not holding hands anymore. Almost.)

“Yeah, right,” he says with a soft laugh, looking down at his feet. He isn’t sure why he feels so anxious all of a sudden -- things are usually so easy for him with Calum. Maybe it’s because of the anxieties caused by his few moments inside of the party, or because they aren’t working. Or because Calum looks really good tonight, and he can’t stop sneaking glances at him in the elevator. “If it’s any consolation, I was… looking forward to seeing you, too.” He looks back up at him with a soft smile, and Calum smiles back, his cheeks looking a little warmer than they did before. 

The back and forth sweetness is something Michael isn’t really used to -- most of their quips back and forth are banter or cheeky comments when least expected. But he thinks they’re nice, and he hopes that Calum thinks they’re nice as well. As much as he loves a good sexual remark, an indirect compliment is almost nicer, in some ways. 

The elevator stops on the first floor, and they step out, Michael trailing behind Calum. He waves to Jack, the other doorman who’s covering for him tonight, who’s sitting on his phone talking to someone on FaceTime (he’s pretty sure it’s his boyfriend, Alex). He waves back before flipping him off, which Michael is sure he deserves for begging him to take his shift tonight. He just shrugs and gestures to Calum, to which Jack replies with a shrug of his own and a lewd gesture. Michael just blushes harder and starts walking faster towards the swinging doors. 

He sighs a little at the crisp outdoor air. It’s never really that cold out this time of year, being a nice 45 degrees this evening, but it’s enough to make him shiver enough to pull his jacket around him a little tighter. He watches as Calum leans up against the side of the building, following suit as he keeps his eyes on him. He pulls his pack of cigarettes from his pockets along with his lighter, pulling one out and lighting it. 

Michael thinks for a moment that he really shouldn’t be internally romanticizing such an activity, but Calum could make anything look absolutely stunning. He watches as Calum inhales the smoke from his cigarette, filling himself with enough nicotine to swarm every crevice of himself, before gracefully letting it spill from between his plush lips. Michael swallows a little bit, playing with his fingers again as he tries not to watch him too closely. 

“I really don’t want to go back up to that party,” Calum laughs a little bit, flicking some ashes off of the end of the cigarette. Michael bites his bottom lip, nodding in agreement as he kicks at some rocks on the sidewalk. “I would much rather be spending my time with you. But you’re awfully quiet tonight, is something wrong? Did I do something wrong?” He furrows his brow a little bit, and there’s a little bit of sadness in his eyes as he looks at Michael. 

“No, no, of course not,” he says, shaking his head. “I don’t know, might have been the overwhelming nature of everything going on upstairs. Just… feeling anxious, I guess. Sorry. I’m kind of a downer, aren’t I?” he lets out a soft laugh, ruffling his blond hair with his hand, and Calum just shakes his head as he takes another breathtaking drag from his cigarette. 

“No, you’re not a downer, don’t even say that,” Calum laughs. “We don’t have to talk. I just… I dunno. It’s almost a new year… thought maybe we could ring it in together, whether or not we spend it at Ashton’s stupid party, or at one of our places. Since I literally live walking distance from here.” He flicks the end of his cigarette again, and Michael watches as the ashes scatter onto the pavement. He looks up at Calum, biting his lip a little bit. 

“I… think I would like that a lot,” he says with a bashful grin. Calum grins in reply, offering his free hand to him as a peace offering. Michael takes it easily, letting their fingers slot together, like their hands were made for one another. 

“Then what are you waiting for, babe?” he grins, tugging on his arm as he starts down the street. 

Michael doesn’t think he’s ever going to regret going home with Calum that night, even after the plethora of texts he gets from Luke asking if he’s going to be coming back. He has all the time in the world to make it up to Luke. Right now is for Calum. 

And he’s glad he gets to ring in the new year with him.


End file.
